Folding chair



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

GEORGE F. HANSON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

FOLDING CHAIR.

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 509,735, dated November 28, 1893.

Application filed January 6, 1893- Serial No. 457,534. (No model.)

T0 60% whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. HANSON, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Folding Chairs; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to the class of foldingchairs.

It consists in the novel arrangement, construction and combination of the parts hereinafter fully described and specifically pointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide a chair of light weight, yet strong and durable, and which can readily be folded into small compass for convenient transportation and as easily expanded for use as occasion may require.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanation of my invention,--Figure l is a perspective view of my chair showing it open for use. Fig. 2 is a View showing it folded.

In the construction of my chair I employa back piece A of a width sufficient to form a proper support and restand yet narrow enough to avoid undue bulk when the chair is folded. This back may be made of any fanciful or open-work design, and it terminates in two legs a a which rest upon the ground.

B B are two legs which are pivoted at b to the inner sides of the legs a of the back A, their lower ends 1) extending backward and meeting at a point just behind the legs a, thereby forming an additional support and in a measure preventing the chair acciden' tally tipping backward. The legs B diverge from each other, extending upwardly to a point sufficiently high to form the front edge of the seat.

C C- are two other legs which are pivoted to the outer sides of the legs B B at the points a. They diverge downwardly from each other, and their lower ends 0' rest upon the ground forming the front support of the seat. Their upper ends converge upwardly from the point of pivot with the legs B, and are connected by hinges with the back A at a point approximately level With the upper front ends of the legs B.

The hinge connection with thelegs C of the back A, though itmay be of an ordinary sliding kind, enabling the legs to fold back parallel with the back, is preferably a sliding hinge connection, such as is here shown by the loop links D, fitted to holesin the tops of the legs and freely embracing and slidable upon the side bars of the back.

E is a bar which is hinged or fulcrumed at one end to the top of one of the legs B, and the other end has asocket e or other connecting device, by which it may be removably attached to a pin e 011 the top of the other leg B, this bar forming the front edge of the seat.

F is the canvas or other flexible material which forms the seat. This is attached at the rear to the upper ends of the legs 0, and to a uniting bar or rod d which extends between them, and which, though it may be a separate piece, is best formed as part of the same wire or rod which forms the loop links D. The

front edge of the canvas is attached to the front bar E. When the bar E is extended across the front upper ends of the legs B, after the latter are open, the seat is complete, and by reason of the six points of support on the ground, will be very firm for the occupant.

When it is desired to fold the chair, the detachable end of the bar E is freed from the leg B upon which it rests, and is dropped down parallel with the other leg B. The legs B and O are then folded about their pivot points, the lower ends of legs B at the same time folding about the points at which they are pivoted to the legs a of back A, while the upper ends of legs 0 slide upon their hinge loop links and rise with them, so that all the legs are together, lying parallel with the back A and closely upon it, while by reason of the rise of the legs 0 with the slidable links, said legs do not increase the length of the folded chair.

By means of a strap orother confining band G, the legs and back are held together, and the device may be carried about in the hand, or otherwise. The general convergence of the legs to the back results in a folded chair of no greater width than said back for the reason that the legs 13, being confined between the legs 0, will when the legs 0 slide up, draw therewith the legs B, by means of the pivoted connection 0, and the divergent faces of the legs B contacting along and covering the faces of the legs 0 thereby force toward each other those portions of the legs B above the pivot c.

It is of course understood that the legs B are made of a thickness and of material such as will allow them to be sprung into the position as seen in Fig. 2.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A folding chair consisting of aback piece having legs, forwardlyinclined upper divergent legs pivoted near lower ends to the legs of the back, backwardlyinclined upwardly convergent legs pivoted to the divergent legs, a sliding hinge connection between the upper ends of said backward] y inclined legs and the back piece and a suitable seat, substantially as herein described.

2. Afolding chair consisting of a back piece having legs, forwardly inclined upwardly divergent legs pivoted near their lower ends to the legs of the back and projecting behind them, backwardly inclined upwardly convergent legs pivoted to the divergent legs, a

sliding hinge connection between the upper ends of said backwardly inclined legs and the back piece and a suitable seat supported from the upper ends of the inclined legs, substantially as herein described.

3. Afolding chair consisting of aback piece having legs, forwardly inclined legs pivoted at their lower ends to the legs of the back, backwardly inclined legs pivoted to the forwardly inclined legs, a sliding hinge connection between the upper ends of said backwardly inclined legs and the back, a front bar hinged to the upper end of one of the forwardly inclined legs and detachably connected with the upper end of the other of said legs, and a suitable seat supported between the upper ends .of the backwardly inclined legs and said front bar, substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

GEORGE F. HANSON.

Witnesses:

S. H. NOURSE, J. A. BAYLEss. 

